Fakes - Greek Brown Lentil Soup with Bay Leaves and Red Wine Vinegar

Fakes is on the table in Greek homes at least once a week, and for good reason: one pot, a handful of pantry ingredients, and forty minutes. The two things that make it Greek rather than just lentil soup are the bay leaves in the pot and the vinegar at the end. Don't skip either.

Serves 4 - 45 minutes

Ingredients

• 300g APSOGO Organic Greek Brown Lentils
• 80ml APSOGO Extra Virgin Olive Oil, plus more to finish
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 2 carrots, diced
• 3 garlic cloves, sliced
• 1 jar (340g) APSOGO Chopped Tomatoes with Herbs
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 3 APSOGO Organic Greek Bay Leaves
• 1 tsp APSOGO Organic Greek Oregano
• 1.2 litres water
• APSOGO Greek Sea Salt Blossom and black pepper
• Red wine vinegar, to serve

Method

1. Rinse the lentils and pick out any stones. No soaking needed.
2. Warm the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and carrot and cook 6-7 minutes until soft. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more.
3. Stir in the tomato paste and cook 1 minute, then add the chopped tomatoes, lentils, bay leaves, oregano and water. Bring to the boil, then lower to a gentle simmer.
4. Cook uncovered for 30-35 minutes, stirring now and then, until the lentils are tender and the soup has thickened. Add a splash of water if it gets too thick.
5. Season with salt and pepper only at the end - salting early keeps lentils firm.
6. Remove the bay leaves. Serve in bowls with a spoonful of red wine vinegar and a generous pour of olive oil over each one. Feta and olives on the side are traditional.

Tip

Leftovers thicken overnight. Loosen with water and reheat gently - fakes is better on day two.

All the APSOGO ingredients in this recipe are available at apsogo.com.